VW TYPE 3 & 4 CLUB FORUM

Although I am no longer a VW man (sorry) I did own a 1971 411 LE Fastback from 1974-76 and would be interested to know if it still exists!

It was Clementine with Webasto sunroof and Rostyle wheels and as I recall the reg number was WTU 285J. It was registered in the Manchester area.

I just tried the DVLA site and it's not known to them so I think it must have been destroyed before the SORN process came in (I just checked one of my cars which hasn't joined the SORN process and they still have the correct details)

Of course if the reg number is incorrect (or a private plate since attached) others may know better

Thanks. I agree. I've been on "howmanyleft.co.uk" which indicates that there are no 411LE fastbacks on the road or SORNed which is a great shame. The best feature of the car I recall was the petrol injection heater. It used to tick and as I owned it when the IRA were active folks used to knock on my door suspecting the car was a ticking bomb! Thanks again for your reply.

I think there may be 4 still on the road according to that data. As there are only 2 body styles, the ones that aren't variants must be fastbacks/coupe/saloon whatever your preferred term.

As I am fairly new on the type 4 scene (this century anyway), others will know better. My first cars were a 412LE variant, followed by a 412LE fastback. Like so many before they both went to the great scrapyard in the sky, and I was their final owner.

Never mind the ticking of the eberspacher heater timer, what about the loud ticking of the analogue clock. That's one of the things I had completely forgotten about these cars until I connected the battery

David,

After 37 years I don't remember the clock! Cheers

There are/were three body styles to choose from in the Type 4s (excluding the obvious 411 412 versions) and that was the more common/most left on the road Variant, then there is the 4 door sedan (saloon, fastback) and then the scarcer 2 door sedan. There was also several engine/trim choices etc over its limited production of about 360-370,000ish cars made over a 6 year period (1968-1974) before VW (some argue that the merger/takeover by Audi hastened this)decided that watercooled was the way forward and came up with the Passat.

Thanks. Mine was the 4 door fastback with leather (vinyl really) trim, webasto sunroof and wider rostyle wheels. It was great car that took me and 3 friends through France and over the Alps in 75.

I guess everyone wishes they had kept their old cars from that era as they are now classics. Being 20 at the time I traded it in 76 for something more trendy - big mistake!

shawn71 wrote:There are/were three body styles to choose from in the Type 4s (excluding the obvious 411 412 versions) and that was the more common/most left on the road Variant, then there is the 4 door sedan (saloon, fastback) and then the scarcer 2 door sedan. There was also several engine/trim choices etc over its limited production of about 360-370,000ish cars made over a 6 year period (1968-1974) before VW (some argue that the merger/takeover by Audi hastened this)decided that watercooled was the way forward and came up with the Passat.

Audi (or really Auto Union at that point) and/or NSU as VW bought both.

VW bought NSU in 1969, merged it with Auto-Union (resulting Audi NSU Auto Union AG) and moved the management into Auto Union headquarters in Ingolstadt.
(from wiki:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NSU_Motorenwerke and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audi for the long story)

VW K70 is and was a re-badged NSU and it's the predecessor for Audi 50 (made in former NSU factory, in Neckarsulm) and VW Polo (made in Wolfsburg). VW was cheaper so it sold better and Audi production ended in 1978.

I'd say it was the K70 which was the last nail on the coffin of the 412 (and aircooled rear engines in general): Totally new, almost futuristic design and modern technology.

(Sorry for thread hijacking, this is really a history overview and not related.)

I have a drivers door for a four door sedan, probably the nearest I'll get to owning such a car, ha